A Chosen's Heart
by Grizzly98
Summary: Those only known as The Chosen hide in the shadows, using their gift to make a living in a world that doesn't want them. Until one woman stumbles upon them and discovers there's more than meets the eye. Part of the BBE from Ccrispy's Crew. My artist partner and creator of cover pic: Grossulart


**This MONSTER of a oneshot came from the Big Bang Event held by Ccrispy and her crew. Writers were paired with artists and challenged to write something we hadn't before. The artists had to draw a scene from the oneshot. The oneshots were supposed to be 8k words. *coughs* mine is 19k. *grins* Have Fun!**

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Wind howls in her ears, its' song amplified over the smooth cliff face...and still, she can only find it in herself to smile. When was the last time she got to stand atop the world? When was the last time she was able to feel like she could do anything? The last time she could be free? The wind frees a strand of her hair from its ponytail and she pushes it behind her ear, taking a step closer to the edge.

_This was never about me though. _She marvels. Extending her arms to her sides she closes her eyes, taking a deep breath of the salt-filled air. Upon hearing steps behind her she remembers why she, no, _they _are here. Still smiling, she tips forward, allowing gravity to take her over the edge. _I was never the one looking for freedom. I had no idea such a thing was so important...Not until I came across _Them_._

_**Seven years ago…**_

A bell rings. Once silent halls begin to fill with students, their voices overlapping, echoing off the halls as they speak to their friends, make plans. The normal class change in any high school. Among them, a blonde-haired student quietly treads out of her math class, said class's textbook currently in her arms as she makes her way to her locker. Weaving her way through the crowded halls her eyes may be focused on her surroundings but in truth, her mind is elsewhere.

At least until she gets to her locker and finds a short blue-haired teen standing beside it looking exasperated. Then she smiles, pushing away her thoughts. "Hi, Levy-chan, how was Government?"

It comes as no surprise when her blue-haired friend groans, slamming her head against the locker. "It was _horrible! _Porly made us sit through an entire lecture about the Fiore/Alvarez Accord _and _is making us write a ten-page on why it's important."

Lucy only gives her friend a sour smile in agreement. Said class being the one class the entire senior year can agree is comparable to Hell. No one in their class has anything nice to say about the class or the teacher. Porlyusica or Porly as the student body prefers to call her is a strict slave driver of a teacher, known for giving stressful pop quizzes, assigning long essays with impossible deadlines and overall a very harsh approach to teaching.

She's gonna try and cheer her friend up when a hand lands on the locker beside her. Levy rolls her eyes and before Lucy even turns around she already knows who the hand belongs to. It's not that hard to figure out when said teen has been trying to get her to go out with him since their freshman year. So she turns, finding a ginger-haired teen nearly six foot at the shoulder wearing a red, orange, and yellow letter jacket with the symbol for the Magnolia Fighting Fairies on his shoulder.

Captain of the football team, ladies man, and overall flirt, Loke Leon is well known throughout not just the school but the town of Magnolia in general. It's hard not to know his name when his father Koning Celeste is a popular, well-liked, and very important political figure.

The other girls in the school, senior class and underclassmen alike think she's crazy for turning him down but to the blonde, there's just something about the popular jock that doesn't appeal to her. Granted it's most likely the fact she knows he'll move three lockers down to flirt with another girl after she turns him down but still. _Too much of a playboy for my liking. _She muses as she looks up into green-tinted shades.

"Can we help you, Loke?"

He grins, pushing his shades further up his nose. "There's a party at the old ice factory outside town tonight. I was wondering if you'd wanna come?"

At her back, Lucy can just _feel _the glare her short friend is giving the cocky jock and quite honestly she wants to say no just to get it over with. Until the small devilish part of her that knows it's a Friday decides to speak up. She grins back, causing the ginger to arch an eyebrow in surprise.

"Actually," Tilting her head just the slightest, she adjusts her books. The way his eyes shoot toward her chest with the motion does not escape her notice either. "Levy and I were planning on going anyway. Maybe I'll see you there." With that she turns away, Levy grabbing her stuff to follow when the blonde looks over her shoulder, fluttering her lashes at him. "Or maybe I won't."

Leaving him blubbering like the fool he is, she continues on her way, Levy running to keep up with her longer footsteps. When they round the corner Lucy has to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Levy, on the other hand, has no qualms. She giggles so hard some of the multitudes of books in her bag nearly fall out. As it is, Lucy has to catch a few of the pencils that do manage to make it out of the overstuffed bag.

When her blue-haired friend finally has her breath, she looks up at the blonde. "Are we really going to that stupid party tonight? What happened to staying at your apartment and squashing the Dragon tonight?"

Since the summer of their sophomore year when the game first came out, it has become something of a ritual for the two girls to meet at Lucy's apartment on Friday nights and play Ark Survival Evolved. Over the past few weeks, they've been working on defeating the bosses of the map and ascending to the next map. Last week they'd defeated the Brood Mother, a giant spider-like dinosaur that gave Levy the heebie-jeebies and the week before that was the Megapithecus, a massive ape that likes to throw rocks. There are only three bosses before the final, the Overseer, and they _had_ planned to defeat the Dragon tonight so they could begin preparing for the final fight.

Knowing she's thrown the third part of their plan out the window for the time being she grins sheepishly, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Sorry, Levy-chan. I know you were looking forward to it and we _will _fight him but I kinda wanna get out of the house tonight and do something stupid."

That has her friend groaning. Whether out of frustration or confirming a hidden suspicion she'll never know. The warning bell rings and the duo take off like a pair of rockets to reach their next class.

Later that evening Lucy pulls into a rundown lot. With the sun having set an hour or two earlier it leaves the area bathed in darkness save for the distant light from the few lamps on the road and that of the headlights from her car. Granted the secondary source of light eventually goes as well when she turns the car off. Sighing, she leans back in her seat, looking over at Levy still pouting in the passenger side seat.

"Levvvvy," She groans, leaning heavily on her friend's shoulder. "These parties aren't fun unless you're there. And besides," She smiles, nudging the girl. "if you don't like it we'll leave."

Levy takes so long to respond that the blonde fears she won't even that offer until the bluenette finally sighs, looking at her. "Alright, but you better be serious."

Happy she agrees, Lucy climbs out of the car, locking it once Levy is out as well. With that, they begin trekking across the lot to a small well-worn path leading uphill to a rusty barb wire fence. The fence protects an old ice factory that shut down long before the teens were born and though it has been practically forgotten over time every generation of Magnolia High knows about it. It being the best place for a party of a spectacular size to occur.

They slip through a hole in the fence in silence, their ears picking up the faint sound of music coming from inside the factory. As they approach the rusted double doors leading inside they find one has already been opened, a piece of brick being used as a doorstop to keep it open. With no one being present outside, the girls enter, their ears being assaulted by the loud music they'd heard outside echoing down the hallway they've stepped into.

The hallway isn't long—only about fifteen feet—and in no time they're stepping into the shadow of a catwalk lining the second floor of the building. In front of them, other seniors and juniors from Magnolia High are dancing to the music or standing apart in groups chatting. Off in one or two darkened corners, Lucy spots couples making out.

When _Levy_ spots one of the said couples, she blushes, grabbing onto Lucy's hand and intending to drag her blonde friend back out the door. Keyword being _intend. _Before she gets the chance a familiar head of ginger appears from the crowd holding a red plastic cup. His expression brightens and he approaches them, pushing his shades up his nose. Watching the gesture Levy wrinkles her nose wondering why anyone would something as impractical as wear sunglasses _at night_.

"Hello there, beautiful," Loke greets Lucy with a charming smile. Both she and Levy, however, are not fooled. When he notices his greeting isn't working he changes tactics, raising his cup toward them. "Would you like a drink?"

Even from where Levy stands behind her friend she can smell the alcohol coming from the cup and Loke's breath. Quietly she grabs Lucy's hand, tightening her grip on it to tell the blonde her opinion on the matter. Understanding, Lucy shakes her head, pushing away the cup with her unoccupied hand. "No thank you, Loke, I'm just fine."

Though unhappy with the answer given the slump of his shoulders, Loke nods in acquiescence, getting distracted when someone calls his name. Using the distraction, Lucy pulls Levy away, toward a set of stairs leading up and out of the way of the majority of the crowd. Stepping onto the catwalk they find that besides a few groups it's mostly empty, allowing them room to breathe and the ability to see nearly across the entire factory.

Almost immediately the girls are bored out of their minds. As they stand there watching the party flow and ebb as it will Lucy's half tempted to suggest they go ahead and leave. Thinking back over her choice to come she's not even sure what pushed her to do so.

"Levy!" Both girls turn at the sound of the blunette's name and Levy instantly cheers up when she recognizes some of her classmates. They're urging her to come over and with a smile of reassurance from Lucy she goes, immediately falling into a conversation Lucy has no idea about—not when what she can hear of it is in a language she doesn't know. Gathering the classmates are most likely from one of her friend's many extra credit language classes Lucy returns to her observations of the floor below them.

The mass of party ebbs and flows like the tide, moving with the rhythm of the music and constantly in motion. She won't admit it but watching it as a whole is entrancing. Particularly when she discovers the music holds control over the majority of the moving mob. When the beat of the music changes so does the beat of the party. Her eyes on the changing flow of the party below, her mind drifts inward, focusing on the different reports and projects she has to do for her classes before drifting further still until she's no longer paying much attention to the party at all besides humming to whatever music she recognizes...until the music dims.

When the beating of the music in her ears softens she pulls herself out of her thoughts. Looking at the crowd she finds the ebb and flow of it getting disrupted, the crowd as a whole dividing around a lone soul in a sleeveless hoodie stalking through. Murmurs rise though Lucy can make out nothing from them and she watches as the football team separate themselves from the crowd to corral the lone soul.

Loke steps into the figure's face, smirk visible even from where Lucy stands and the blonde watches as he says something that sets his team to grinning maliciously. The soul must say something because Loke's expression turns thunderous for the briefest of moments before his smirk is back and he sets a hand on the figure's shoulder. The soul shrugs off the grip. Loke scratches his nose with a finger then his smirk is fading and he lashes out with a lightning-fast punch.

For a moment Lucy expects the odd figure to get hit but then the figure dodges the punch and counters with his own, nailing Loke in his lip. The football Captain shrugs a shoulder in signal and the entire football team converges on the poor soul. While their intent to hurt the figure any way they can, to Lucy it's clear the soul is just trying to protect himself, only throwing out hits and kicks in self-defense.

Around the brawl, the crowd throws jeers and taunts at the figure while also cheering for their football team as if it were a game rather than a group of twenty ganging up on one person. Admittedly that one person is holding their own against the group pretty well but it doesn't come as a surprise when they finally manage to get through the soul's guard and catch him, two players—one sporting a broken nose, the other a rapidly swelling eye—grabbing his arms to prevent him from causing any more damage.

When the brawl stills Loke walks up glaring at the soul before punching them in the face. He snarls something causing the players to tighten their hold as Loke throws another punch, hitting the soul in the gut. The team Captain does this three more times before the soul appears to get tired of it. In disbelief, Lucy watches as the figure tears his arms away from the players holding him, and tackles Loke. There's some apparent strength behind the maneuver because it sends the Captain sprawling. In the confusion and disbelief stirred among the crowd the soul escapes, Lucy rapidly losing sight of him when he hits the shadows of the hall leading out of the factory.

_**XxX**_

With all the work she has for her classes she has no time for rumors and hearsay as such it's nearly four days later before any thought of the strange soul enters her mind once more. She's in Astrology, hard at work copying down notes for the _weekly _pop-quiz her teacher, Miss Grammi will give them the coming Friday when the classroom door opens. Almost immediately the green-haired teacher falls quiet, her chalk still pressed to the board and she turns, her kind smile melting into a small frown.

She sets the chalk down and sets her hands on her hips. "Mr. Sarasuke you're late!" The tall student walking through the door flinches slightly and from behind her Lucy can hear a few of her classmates murmuring in sympathy. Miss Grammi is usually a calm, kind teacher but anyone who has her class knows to be orderly and on time or else they discover the steel spine that has even some of the teaching staff wary of the five-foot-tall woman.

The tardy student approaches the teacher and holds out a slip of paper. "Sorry Miss Grammi, I was helping Droy get to his herbology class." She takes the paper from him, her green eyes sharp as they observe the teen before she looks down to read the note. She frowns, looking back at him before returning to the note.

"Very well. I'll let it slide this time but next time Mr. Arden will have to find someone else to escort him to his classes. I will not be having you use this as an excuse to be late to my class." With that she turns away, waving a hand in the general direction of his seat. "Take your seat and try to catch up with us. I assure you, planetary alignments wait for no mortal." With that she returns to the board, picking up her chalk and setting it back to the board. "Now, as I was saying before we were interrupted—" As she picks back up writing on the board with a fervor only one who enjoys the topic they're teaching shows, Lucy once more proceeds to copy down her notes.

Copying words from the board is easy work, leaving her mind to wander and as such when her ear catches murmuring behind her she subtly tilts her head to hear it better. "Is it really that bad?" The voice she recognizes as Warren's, something of a geek that tends to take more of the same classes Levy does then the blonde does. As it is she only knows him through her blue-haired friend.

"Yeah," Sarasuke or _Jet _as she remembers his name to be responds quietly. "Fractured in three spots, broken in two. He won't be able to walk without crutches for three months and the Doc says he'll need a boot for _another _two after that." A hiss comes from a third student and Lucy hears the jock make a noise of agreement. "Coach said he'll be lucky if he makes the team next year."

There are quiet groans from his two listeners than a "What happened?" that Lucy recognizes coming from Vijeeter, a teen on the cheer squad. Jet goes to reply but Miss Grammi chooses that moment to turn around and all three fall quiet. Using the silence the blonde skims over her writing to ensure it's correct. Finding all is in order she looks back up at the teacher. Said teacher currently handing out a stack of homework sheets to be passed down the aisles.

After the last is handed out she returns to the board to write something else. Automatically Lucy's pencil returns to the paper and a few lines later she hears rumbles from the conversation behind her. She tunes back in to, "—from last Friday?" From the grunts of acknowledgment, she assumes it was a question. "Well Captain had Tauren and Zeke tale the freak and after the party, we went after him. Captain wasn't exactly happy he got burned in front of the whole senior class so he decided we were gonna teach the fucker a lesson."

Jet falls quiet and there's a sound of confusion. "Then what happened?" This comes Warren.

Something like a groan comes from the jock. "We found him alright. But he wasn't alone." Lucy can practically hear the grimace in his voice. "There was another freak hiding nearby. When we cornered the asswipe they both came as us. There wasn't one of us who got away without _at least _a handful of bruises."

Lucy tunes out their conversation after that, her mind whirling over what she'd heard. The soul that had interrupted the party Friday night, that had ended up in a bad situation and had only been trying to protect themselves had ended up being hunted down like an animal all because of some bruised _pride. _It _aggravates _her that Loke all of people would do something so egotistical but it's also a sad fact that it is something he would do.

The bell rings, startling her from her thoughts and she reacts out of habit, swiftly and neatly packing up her stuff before leaving her seat. Now that she thinks about it, she has noticed a lot of the football team limping or moving the slightest bit slower than they usually do. But as she enters the chaotic mess that is high school students moving from class to class she pushes her observations away for a time when she doesn't have to rush to not be late for her next class.

_**XxX**_

She's walking to Levy's for a sleepover when she spots a rapidly becoming recognizable figure standing in the entrance to an alley. With the rumors she's heard about him from the others at school she's hesitant to approach. Even if she wants to know more about the figure that can give Loke and his jocks a run for their money the idea that he's a real monster puts her just the slightest bit on edge.

Though that hesitancy is thrown into the trash when she sees another hooded figure, nearly a foot taller than the first appearing from the alley. She's halfway down the block, so she can't hear what they're saying. As she slowly approaches growls begin to reach her ears and she becomes confused. _Since when do humans growl like animals?_ Another growl sends a shiver of primal fear down her spine. _And sound so real? _

When she's naught but a lamp's distance from them they disappear into the alley. Without thinking she follows them, curious as to where they're going. Lucy comes to a stop at the entrance of the alley, blinking when she realizes she can't see beyond the area of light from the lamp post. She's hesitant to step into the darkness and her mind wars between the dangers of what could be in there and her curiosity.

_Well, _She muses, glancing up and down the road before turning back to the dark alley. _Curiosity may have killed the cat, _With a deep breath, she steps out of the circle of light, her footsteps quiet among the sounds of a sleeping town. _But satisfaction brought it back. _

If there was to be a witness on that lone road they would say the blonde simply...vanished...when she entered the dark alley. To Lucy stepping into darkness after walking in the light is a rush that sends her blood pumping through her veins and her heart beating in her ears. To not know what lies ahead and yet still be willing to explore it is a dream the high school student had not once thought of. After tonight, she knows it'll be something she'll never forget.

Shaking her head to get rid of her musings, Lucy turns her eyes forward. Nearly a block ahead there's a flash of gray under the light coming from a window and Lucy frowns, picking up her speed to try and keep the mysterious soul in view. Alley after alley, splashing through puddles of water and aware of the skittering of creatures around her, she follows them.

She's panting now, unused to having run so much and when they turn a corner she tries to run faster, turning the corner as well to find...nothing. It's almost as if they've disappeared. Lucy comes to a stop, fly away hairs sticking to her face from the sweat she'd unknowingly worked up and her heart beating in her ear. Looking around she finally takes in her surroundings.

Her chase has brought her a much further distance then she'd first thought. No longer is she on the safe side of town where a person can walk the streets at night without being mugged. Now she's surrounded by worn-down buildings with boarded-up windows and graffiti that litters the brick walls. Shuddering she turns around, about to start the long walk to Levy's when she runs into what she can only call a wall of gray fabric.

A growl—that of a predator—reaches her ears and she steps back, her back meeting the rough brick wall of a building. "Why are you following me?" His tone, for it is a guy, is low and dangerous and at that moment she wants nothing more than to turn and run. The blonde is about to do just that when one of his long well-muscled arms comes up, his fist hitting the brick with enough force she can feel the wall tremble.

She bites back a wince at the display of strength, and whispers, "I-I saw you at the p-party last Friday. I just wanted to know who you were." The whole time she's speaking her eyes never leave his chest but when the growl she can now tell emanates from his chest rises in volume Lucy finally raises her eyes to look at his face. At first glance, his face appears like any other person's. Onyx eyes staring back at her with a distrust and wariness that belies experience with betrayal and his lips raised in a snarl much like an animal would to warn someone off.

There's a shock of hair that has escaped his hood. It hangs down in front of his face and in the light, its pink color reminds her of bubble-gum but...It's when her eyes roam the right side of his face that she freezes, her breath catching in her throat. At first glance, she'd assumed it was the shadows playing over his sharp features and yet when the light catches on the skin it gives off the same sheen as reptile scales would. Taking a closer look she finds the pattern starts along his jaw and travels up, expanding at his cheek bone to cover the entire portion of the right side of his face and around the corresponding eye.

He leans closer, the light making the reptilian scales shine a dark red, almost black. "If you know what's good for you, you'll go away and leave me alone." Baring his teeth in a snarl Lucy swallows, nodding in agreement, and when he drops his arm she bolts back the way they'd come.

_**XxX**_

"—thus, in 1842, the full naval might of Caelum set sail for Fiore." Lucy sighs, setting her head in her hand. History might be fun to learn but when it comes to the _teacher _even a nerd like her is ready to run. Her eyes wander from the board where Miss Porlyusica is currently finding new ways to cover it completely in chalk to the window she's sitting beside.

Unconsciously her lips tilt into a frown as her mind turns back to her meeting with the strange teen from the night before last. The way he'd acted, so animalistic, so..._Feral _her mind supplies. She's never witnessed someone act that way and yet he'd done it as if it was the only way he knew _how _to act. Her mind turns to the most startling fact of their interaction and Lucy feels a shiver crawl up her spine. Not of fear or horror, though, but of intrigue.

Her curiosity had sparked when she saw the jocks' reaction at the party and she's surprised to find that it has only grown now that she met the face under the hood. With a list of questions rapidly being written up in her mind, she sets a task and when the bell rings she's one of the first out the door.

Most of her classmates will be heading for the cafeteria or other places in the school to settle down for their lunch break but when it comes to the hall that leads to the lunchroom she changes direction going doing another hall to the school library. Normally when the blonde enters the massive room full of books she stops, takes in the scent of knowledge, of adventure and mystery that seems to permeate from the shelves themselves before continuing with her work.

Today, however, she doesn't have the time—not when she has no clue where to even start. Instead, she takes her bag to the back of the library, dropping it off at one of the privacy desks before turning and looking at the shelves upon shelves that line the walls.

When her eye catches on a medical book, the blonde decides that it could be worth a shot and heads for the medical section, skinning through spines and pulling out a book here or there to skim through for an idea if it may help. If she thinks it might, it goes into a small pile set on an empty shelf. After gathering up four likely candidates she takes them back to her desk and then makes for the psychology section.

Psychology isn't one of her favorite subjects, she prefers writing, grammar, and reading to spelunking the human mind. _Still, _She muses as she peruses the limited number of books, _there might be something here. _When she opens up the second book she picks up and attempts to read it her eyes cross and she puts back on the shelf with a shake of her head. _Or maybe I just like torturing myself. _

Grabbing the one book she'd gotten out of the section that doesn't immediately make her cross-eyed, she's walking back to her desk. As she's passing the History section, however, she slows down. On a whim she enters the section, her eyes scanning the titles with a little less focus then she'd used in the previous sections. She comes to a stop about halfway through the second shelf from the bottom, her brows furrowed in thought before she pulls the book from the shelf and walks back to her desk.

She doesn't know whether it's gut instinct or curiosity that has her setting the psychology book on top of the medical books and sitting in her chair with the history book in hand. Either way, she sets it down, staring at the cover. The title '_Fiore Lore and Legend - The Facts Behind it All' _stares back at her.

Lucy glances at the stack of books sitting in front of then sighs, her shoulders dropping. _Oh well, what have I got to lose? _With that thought in mind, she opens the cover. Almost immediately the mustiness of an old book reaches her nose. Flipping through the first couple pages, she looks for the copyright, arching an eyebrow when she finds it. "1925, seriously? What's it doing in a high school?"

Shaking her head she flips the page, finding a table of contents. _Alright, let's see. _She sets a fingertip on the yellowed page, looking through the section headers. _Angels, Bakshi, Clippers, Cubina Gamal, Curily, Demon, Doscadon, Drag_—Lucy inhales sharply, her mind flashing to the scalelike skin on the teen's face. Checking the page number, she flips through the book until she finds it, the first page having a sketched picture of a reptilian head.

Flipping the page her eyes go to the top of the page and she begins to read.

_More than 1600 years ago, Dragons were the rulers of the land and humans were considered to be merely a food source for them. In the east, specifically Ishgar, Dragons lived in harmony with humans, while in the western countries Dragons were known for their cruelty and regular consumption of the human race. Both Eastern and Western Dragons alike were known for their wealth of magic and brute strength. However, somewhere around a millennium ago the Dragons went extinct. It is unsure as to the hows or whys of this sudden mass extinction as records of this time are lacking at best and even from excavations of dragon graveyards found throughout all of Ishgar paleontologists have been unable to paint a clear picture of the fall of the Lords of the Sky. _

As the text develops into the history of the dragons then the theories of their disappearance, and into the discoveries paleontologist had made from the graves Lucy starts to become frustrated. Whatever she's looking for, she has a feeling that it won't be here—not when the entire section is about giant four-legged reptiles with wings—still, she continues reading if not for the information she's seeking then for the information in total she's finding.

By the time she comes to the end of the section she's still frustrated but now it's been tempered enough from the new knowledge she's gained. Level-headed once more she turns the page, expecting a title page with a sketch of another creature. Instead what she finds is a teen staring back at her with eyes that are too reptilian to be human and a face half covered in, "scales."

Lucy looks around, expecting someone to be over her shoulder before she realizes she was the one that spoke and facepalms. With an amusing thought about the state of her sanity, she goes back to the page, finding the words _The Chosen _written in the same bold script as the rest of the section titles. It is with a bit of hesitancy that she flips the page, her eyes rapidly darting across the words.

_The Chosen are children who are picked at birth by the souls of the Ancient Dragons to be their mortal shell. As stated in the previous sections Dragons went extinct over a millennium ago without a clear reason. Several centuries after their disappearance stories and speak of children bearing scales arose. Rumors of adolescents who could bend the elements to their will and who resembled the Lords of the Sky. _

Word for word, Lucy takes in the description before jumping down another paragraph. Already, the image of the teen is lining up with what the author is describing but it's not until she gets to the part describing a Chosen's appearance that her breath is stolen from her.

_The child experiences no outward effects until they reach puberty wherein the draconic half begins to appear through masses of scales emerging from their skin. During this stage, the adolescent's temper is well noted as becoming explosive depending on the element of the Dragon. Said element does not become prominent until they reach anywhere between sixteen and eighteen years of age where they learn to control and project the element at their will. Let it be noted that most records of Chosen do not last beyond their eighteenth year; the exact reason for this is not yet understood. Those that do survive their eighteenth year are proven to receive a great 'power-up' around their twenty-first birthday when the Chosen receive their final growth spurt. As knowledge of what that growth spurt may be is lacking, there is a massive deficiency. _

Being as smart as Lucy is, it's not hard to connect the dots on why knowledge is missing about these Chosen...Not when she'd witnessed the trouble her peers put the strange teen through. She's about to continue reading when the bell rings, spooking her from her thoughts. With a quick hand, she throws her bag over her shoulder, grabs up the books she's taken from the shelves and deposits them in the reshelving bin. She'd reshelve them herself but when it comes to making it to her next class she doesn't have the time.

Throughout the rest of the day, her mind finds itself going back to the book and what she had read. To her it doesn't make sense what she read and yet...comparing the words to the teen is almost identical.

By the time the last bell of the day rings, Lucy's made up her mind and with a farewell to her friends; she starts walking in the direction of the run down side of town. When it comes to the canal that divides the town, Lucy pauses. Up until this point she'd had a sure plan but as she overlooks the bad side of town it comes to her that she doesn't exactly know where to even _start. _

With a huff she moves over to sit on the edge of the canal, setting her elbow on her knee and her head in hand Lucy turns her focus inward, going over what she knows of the teen so far. _He's not afraid to fight, _She snorts at that observation, he'd made as much clear with the jocks. _We ended up on this side of town when I followed him but what if..._She smacks herself across the cheek, shaking her head of the notion that trail of thought was leading her for. _He was definitely coming this way so he has to live here. Especially if he is what I think he is. That just leaves the question how do I find him?_

Sighing in resignation, she decides that exploring the neighborhood will be her best bet for now. Her decision in mind, she gets up and walks to the nearest bridge connecting both sides of the canal. Making it to the other side she lets her feet take her where they will. There's still several hours before the sun sets allowing her plenty of time to explore at least part if not the entirety of this side of town.

Two hours of exploring run-down, abandoned, boarded-up buildings later and Lucy can say she's having fun. It's not the same fun as playing Ark with Levy or reading a good book but it's the kind of fun that leaves someone covered in dirt, sweat, grime and grinning like an idiot. However, in all the time she's been exploring she's also noticed a lack of people anywhere near the buildings. It's also fewer people to notice her so she leaves the thought be...

At least until she comes crawling out of a hole in a wall to hear a small gasp. She's got a cobweb in her face and it takes a minute to remove it but once she does she finds her eyes meeting a set of chocolate brown much like her own. Looking closer at the owner of said eyes she finds a girl, maybe fourteen, sitting in a little nook behind a stack of wood pallets. She wears a dark green dress with a yellow stripe of fabric going up her stomach in a 'V' shape. Hair covers her head in a beautiful sheet of blue reminding Lucy of the ocean but what most catches Lucy's attention is the small patch of skin on her left cheek that is pearl in color and has just the faintest darkening lines in it.

Lucy finishes crawling out of the hole, swinging her bag around to ensure it hasn't been torn and then turns back to the girl, smiling widely. "Hi!" Apparently, it's the wrong thing to say because in a matter of seconds the girl is up and running down the alley. As she runs she pulls the hood of a cloak the blonde only now notices her wearing up to cover her face before disappearing down the street.

The blonde frowns, running a hand over the back of her neck to check for creepy crawlies. "Jeez, all I said was hello." She's about to move onto the next building when she spots something lying on the ground where the girl had been sitting. Arching an eyebrow, she bends down to pick it, realizing it's a book—and a heavy one at that—when it's actually in her hands. The cover is too worn for her to read but when she opens it, her eyes go wide in wonder. The book is, in fact, a medical book and is worn from the many times hands have held it and read its pages. Flipping to the next page she reads the title and her shock rises. It's not only a medical book but a _college-level _medical book at that.

_What's a kid doing with a college med book? _While she's curious about the answer to that question another one comes to mind. _Could she…? _Then she shakes her head. "You _really_ need to cool it with this mystery, Lucy. Now you're starting to assume everyone is." Realizing she's talking aloud to herself she facepalms for the second time that day. _Maybe I really am starting to go insane. _

To get herself out of her head she looks back down at the book, finding handwriting on the page opposite of the title page and she shrugs. _May as well return the book to her. _With that, she takes another look at the writing.

_Property of Makarov Dreyar. If found please return to 777, 7th street Magnolia. _

Closing the book, she gently places it in her bag before patting her clothes to get rid of some of the dust clinging to her. When that's done she steps out of the alley, looking at the street sign before turning and walking up the street.

It's not hard to find the house she's looking for. The address is only two streets over from where she's startled the girl. As she approaches she finds the house to be somewhat cleaner than the ones around it even if it does appear small. The house itself is short, only one level maybe two if there's an attic which if Lucy is to judge by the A-frame window sticking out of the roof there might just be. The outside is covered in baby blue paint that's flaking and peeling in the corners and there's a bucket under the one window on the right side of the house where an ac unit is held up by bungee cords and covered with a tarp.

There's another window on the left side of the house, shaped almost like a bay window and made out of several small panes of glass held together by a latticework frame painted in eggshell white peeling paint. Lucy can't see through the window due to the blackout curtains but she has a feeling that if she could she'd see straight through the living room and into the kitchen. The front yard isn't much different. There's a rusty chain-link fence keeping the yard separate from the neighbors but the sidewalk cutting across the brown lawn to the front door is solid without a crack or a crumbling edge in sight.

She walks up to the front gate, gently lifting the latch, pushing the gate open and closing it behind her all with a loud creak. As she approaches the door she doesn't miss the way the curtain in the window twitches or the flash of blue that's gone as fast as it appeared. Exhaling a sigh she raises a hand and knocks on the door, once, twice, three times before letting her hand fall to her side once more.

A couple of minutes later and the door opens. Lucy smiles, about to greet them when she realizes there's no one at the door. She frowns in confusion, looking at the interior of the house before she hears a cough, looks down and promptly blushes in embarrassment. She didn't think anyone could get that short. As it is she simply fiddles with the strap of her bag.

The old man is only about four feet, if that in height, and wears a white shirt with a red vest and black pants. His head is nearly bald though white hair lines the back of it like a crown displaying his age. Though it's his eyes that catch her attention the most. Onyx like a certain teen she had the fortune of meeting and filled with wisdom bestowed only on those who's lived many years. Even still, there's a sparkle of mischievousness to them that Lucy has a feeling could send even a professional clown running for cover.

"My apologies, Sir, but I was exploring some parts of town when I ran across someone and accidentally spooked them. They left a book you see and I thought I'd return it to you." With that, she reaches into her bag and pulls out the medical book. When she hands it to him he smiles.

"Thank you very much. I was worried when my daughter came home without her book." With that he takes it from her and turns, looking off to his right. "Wendy, come thank this nice woman for returning your book." He edges out of the way, opening the door wider and Lucy gets the chance to see the back of the couch from where she guesses the living room to be then a glimpse at counters she assumes to be the kitchen.

And then the same blue-haired girl she'd frightened off earlier is stepping into the doorway looking extremely shy. Her eyes are planted firmly on the ground, her shoulders are tense, and it appears as if she might bolt for a second time. Instead, the old man gently nudges her and she glances up for the briefest of seconds. "Thank you."

It's more of a tickle of the wind then a whisper but it's all the girl does before she's taking the book from Makarov and disappearing from sight. He looks off in the direction she disappeared, shakes his head and turns back to Lucy. "My apologies, she's very shy when it comes to new people. Please come on in and take a seat. You look like you've been through quite the adventure."

Grinning sheepishly, she steps through the door, only now remembering how filthy she is after her exploring. Makarov closes the door behind her, walking up to her. "Forgive me, I seem to have forgotten my manners in my old age. I'm Makarov Dreyar but most everyone calls me Gramps."

He extends a hand in greeting and she shakes it, smiling back at him. "Lucy Heartfilia, it's nice to meet you, Mr. Makarov."

When he releases her hand they step into the living room and he chuckles. "Please, there's no need to be so formal." With that she sits down in one of the worn—but surprisingly comfortable—chairs and he gestures to the kitchen. "Would you like some tea or coffee?"

"Uh," Lucy looks at him, kinda surprised by the offer of refreshments but then her mind kicks into gear and her smile returns. "Tea please?" It comes out as more of a question though Makarov himself doesn't seem to mind and walks into the kitchen to set the kettle on the stove. When he returns he sits down in the chair across the coffee table, his wisened onyx eyes holding a serious glint she's not sure what to make of.

Then he grins and that serious glint is gone leaving nothing but curiosity. "My daughter tells me you scared her by crawling out of a hole in a wall. So tell me, Lucy, what lead you there in the first place?"

Lucy opens her mouth to reply then pauses. The seemingly innocent question carries a lot of weight and the blonde has a feeling he's not looking for a simple answer. Instead, she explains to him about the party, the mysterious teen, and her findings and curiosity over the subject that lead her to this side of the canal in the first place. When the kettle whistles, she falls quiet long enough for the elder man to get up and make her a cup before returning to his seat. When he's settled, the tea cooling on the table between them she shrugs, her eyes focused on the steam rising from the cup.

"When I got over here, I didn't know where to even start to search for him so I decided I would explore instead. I've never really had the chance to explore this side of the canal before now and I was curious. I started exploring the buildings themselves when I leaned against a wall and ended up falling into the building. From there time just kinda flew. I was coming out of my fifth building when I came across your daughter."

Makarov takes a breath, digesting everything she'd told him before leaning back in his seat and combing a hand through his beard. Then he chuckles causing the blond to look at him in confusion. "My sons were right when they said you were persistent. I hadn't thought someone could be as stubborn as those two but you've certainly claimed the prize." Her eyes flash with a reigned anger and he raises a hand in hopes she'll let him speak. When she stays quiet he sighs, his eyes flashing with an exhaustion she doesn't quite know how to react to. "I promise you, we have no intention of causing you trouble or hurting you. My boys are by no length angels. They'll go out and have a merry ole time causing havoc but when they came back the night before last and spoke of a blonde that seemed willing to keep up with them even when they took _the _most convoluted path back here they possibly could...well...you can see how that would catch our attention."

She hesitantly nods, her mind making connections she's not quite sure she needs just yet but as always her curiosity—_damn the thing to hell_—pushes her to ask a question she has a feeling he'll be willing to answer. "Makarov, if I may?" He nods to show he's listening and she exhales. "A-Are they Chosen?"

Makarov arches an eyebrow at the question. "May I ask where you learned that title, child?"

Lucy blushes and looks away, her eyes finding a picture hanging on the wall behind Makarov's chair. Three children sit on a bench. One, who appears to be the oldest looks around twelve or thirteen. His black hair is trimmed at the sides of his head but hangs down to his shoulders in a long mullet. He looks sour, as if tricked into sucking a sour candy and he's looking away from the camera blocking the view of the left side of his face. The next is another boy, maybe two or three years younger than the first and is laughing revealing canines that appear a bit too sharp to be human. His hair is pink, so very much pink like bubblegum and hangs around his head in spikes that seem to defy gravity. The third—notably seems to be the calmest of the three even if she's hiding her face in the second's side. Ocean blue hair is all that's needed to tell Lucy she's most likely the shy fourteen-year-old that had disappeared earlier. Even at such a young age, possibly only five or six she was already so shy.

Realizing he's still waiting for an answer Lucy mentally slaps herself and admits almost embarrassed, "I found a book on it in the library. After I had met your son I was curious about it."

Makarov nods, humming an agreement. He glances down, tapping his fingers together in thought before, "The Chosen are something of a public secret if you will. There are murmurs of them if you look in the right places but you'll never find one walking down the street during the day. They are uncommon enough to be quite rare yet common enough _for _it to be possible to find information on them."

When he catches her look of confusion he waves a hand at the blonde, urging her to speak her mind. She grins sheepishly. "I'm just a little confused is all. The book I found said that most Chosen don't survive past their eighteenth birthday but it didn't have a reason as to why. If they're that rare wouldn't people want to protect them instead of letting them get hurt?"

"Lucy," Makarov's brows dip, his expression becoming severely serious. "You've seen my sons. Tell me they could go into a school—any group of people their age—and not have someone tease them for something they can't control. Tell me they would not fight to protect themselves and their sister." She remains quiet, having already seen a taste of that for herself. "I don't know about in the distant past but I do know that most Chosen in this day and age don't live long because today's rules of society state they are not what falls under the term 'normal'. Among other humans they're outcasts and among their peers, they're something to be derided. It is not an easy existence for anyone to have to deal with, particularly if they're doing it alone—and that is how most Chosen have to deal with it."

The meaning behind his words is clear but part of her wants to rebel against the _idea _that it could lead to such disastrous consequences. Makarov shakes his head, his eyes filled with sadness and grief for the knowledge of what his children face. "When a Chosen reaches puberty they don't just go through the changes and raging hormones most humans do. They also go through something of a magical hormone change that allows their bodies to better withstand the sheer power behind the Dragon soul they have in them."

"Wendy," He tilts his head in the direction she'd disappeared. "Her mother left her on my doorstep when she was just six months old. I found Natsu when he was five trying to steal food because he was starving." His fists clench in his lap, anger flaring for the briefest of seconds. "Gajeel was ten and already jaded against the world because of what happened to him." He sighs, his hands relaxing. "Chosen aren't just looked down on, they're derided, ostracised. Any that survive to adulthood go into hiding, never able to reveal their faces in the light of the day for fear of what people will do to them."

_**XxX**_

"—filia! Miss Heartfilia!" Her head jerks up in surprise, finding Miss Grammi standing in front of her desk with a stern expression. She grins sheepishly and the teacher arches an eyebrow. "Welcome back, explain what energy comes from a Mercury retrograde."

Lucy gapes, her mind switching gears. "Uh, it affects communication and contracts and agreements are subject to rapid change either during or after the retrograde is over."

Her teacher examines her critically before nodding and turning away. "Correct. Now while Space and the Heavens are interesting I ask that you keep your head on Earth for the duration of my class." She ducks her head in embarrassment as some of her classmates snicker at the rebuke.

With that, she returns her pencil to the paper and begins taking notes once more. Even as she does, though, her mind once more returns to her talk with Makarov. She hadn't thought someone could be ridiculed so badly, let alone a group of people who are granted something so awesome as the ability to have the characteristics of a dragon.

She sighs, shaking her head, and when the bell rings she decides to do something a bit unlike herself. It's been three days since she first met the man but now she wants to go back again. So with the same curiosity that set her on her path in the first place, she walks to the library, waving to the librarian as she heads for the medical section.

"_Wendy is very smart," _He'd told her as their conversation went on. "_Though she's shy around people she has a knack for knowledge, medical knowledge in particular and soaks it up like a sponge does water. We're not sure what her element is, won't be able to find that out for another few years, but already she's able to heal some of the injuries the boys get from their fights and the trouble they get into."_

With that in mind and wanting to help the shy girl come out of her shell, Lucy picks up three books she has a feeling the girl would like before grabbing one from the psychology section as well. She approaches the librarian's desk, not missing the way he arches an eyebrow.

"Quite a haul today, Lucy. Didn't know you were into medical." He's an older man with grey hair topping his head, a monocle in his left eye, and dressed in an old-style suit. Even still he's calmer than some of the teachers in the school and shares the same interest for knowledge in general that she does.

Lucy smiles, pulling her library card out of her bag. "I'm just curious, Mr. Crux. I wanna see what I can learn."

He chuckles, nodding as he sets the books back on the counter for her. "Yes, yes. I can understand that. If you enjoy these come back and I'll suggest some that'll _really_ catch your interest."

"Thank you," She grins, putting the books into her bag. "I will." And she leaves the library, only instead of heading to her next class, she waits for the bell for the start of the next class before walking out of the school. She's a grade-Agrade A student with perfect attendance, as far as she can see, skipping the last three classes won't do anything to hurt her. So she sets her sights on the other side of the canal.

Now that she knows where she's going it takes her half an hour to reach Makarov's house compared to the two hours it took the first time. When the house comes into view she's surprised to find Wendy sitting in the front yard, a familiar book sitting in her lap. Granted it's a _college-level_ medical book Lucy herself couldn't even begin to understand but it appears the girl is thoroughly enchanted with the content. Until she spots a familiar figure in a sleeveless gray hood hanging out on the roof watching her like a hawk. She decides to ignore him for the moment and turns back to Wendy, finding the girl also watching her.

Lucy smiles. "Hi! Wendy right?" The girl shyly nods and reaches into her bag, pulling out the books she'd checked out from the library. "I noticed how much you love that book so I thought I'd bring you a couple more." She doesn't miss the way Wendy's eyes flash with excitement, even hiding under the hood of her cloak. Entering the yard, she closes the gate behind her and holds the books out. Wendy, though wary, gets up and darts across the yard, taking the books from her with a near-silent "Thank you." Before returning to her spot.

Lucy blinks. In the time it takes for her to understand what just happened, she hears a quiet snicker and turns to see the teen on the roof laughing at her. Amused by his action, she sticks her tongue out at him. He pauses in confusion and it's her turn to giggle as she approaches the front door. She knocks three times and the door opens after a minute revealing a scowling Makarov...at least until he realizes who's standing there.

Then he grins. "Ah, Lucy. It's a pleasure to see you again." She blushes, suddenly realizing what it must seem like for her, as something close to a stranger to these people to suddenly show up on their doorstep again.

"My apologies, Makarov, but I was hoping to continue our conversation." He grins, opening the door wider.

"Of course, of course. Come in. My sons are running somewhere around the house so you might get to meet them today."

Confused she points up, where she assumes the teen to be sitting. "I think one of them is sitting on the roof?" When Makarov nods, she moves to sit on the couch like she had the first time and she hears him chuckle.

"That would be Natsu. Those two are protective of Wendy so they don't let her sit outside by herself unless one or both of them are there to keep an eye out for danger." His eye gains a rapidly becoming familiar glint of mischief and as he sits in his chair across the table he strokes his mustache. "Of course, it also helps to keep would-be thieves away at night but I stand for plausible deniability when it comes to their adventures away from home so I try not to find out too much." Seeing her confusion he arches an eyebrow. "Have I not told you about their senses?"

She shakes her head and he opens his mouth to reply. "We can hear a cough from over two blocks away, see the hairs on a fly's body, and differentiate a person's scent from another." Makarov closes his mouth, looking over Lucy's shoulder and she turns to find the pink-haired teen leaning against the wall, his hood down.

With his hood no longer hiding his face, Lucy finds herself observing the play of the light across the red scales covering the right side of his face. They also go further than she originally thought. Not only do they spread from his jawline, up over his cheekbone and covering the right side of his forehead but they also stretch back, covering the cartilage of his ear in a red shell. Now that she's paying attention, the mixture of red and black that had stunned her the first time diffuses into red scales, each edged with a tinge of black—most likely to help blend in with the shadows better.

Makarov clears his throat, drawing her attention back and grimaces. "Lucy this is my youngest son, Natsu. Natsu, this is Lucy. The girl you were telling me about?" The last sentence comes out as more of a question and the teen—_Natsu _she reminds herself—nods, his nostrils flaring just the slightest.

"Aye, this is her Gramps." Then he turns to her, his onyx eyes warily examining her before he grins, mischief clear in the gesture. "So what's a weirdo like you doing here?"

Right then and there, Lucy decides it's going to be fun getting to know these three and learning their personalities.

_**XxX**_

Humming to herself, Lucy steps into the library, the books she's looking to return in her hands and a small list of books she wants to check out written in her head. As she's dropping the books into the return slot she hears a chuckle and smiles, looking up to find Mr. Crux standing there.

"My, my, Dear. you certainly went through those quickly." As he goes to start checking them in, she giggles.

"It's fun reading, Mr. Crux and I like learning new stuff." It's not a lie, the blonde herself does enjoy reading new stuff but the books she's been checking out these past few weeks haven't been for her. No, they're for the three Chosen she's rapidly becoming friendly with. Wendy herself seems able to go through a medical book in about two or three days. If it's a psychology book it takes a bit longer but either way, when Lucy comes at the end of the day she usually has at least one book finished and waiting for more.

Natsu and Gajeel, she's learned, on the other hand, prefer books about metal, burning, forging, things of the ilk that require fire and metal to be done—even if she'll sometimes get a book back that's slightly torched or torn. Over the few weeks since she first met Makarov and his family she's learned a lot not just about them as individuals but about their dragons, the elements they wield in the case of the older two, and still more odd things she hadn't thought about but that fit together to make the three who they are.

Like Wendy likes to trill or sing with the birds when she's happy or when she gets angry it's enough to make Gajeel and Natsu avoid her until she calms down. Or when she gets sweets her true personality appears and she becomes really hyper. Lucy learned the hard way that only Natsu can keep up with her when _that _happens.

"And what are you looking for this time, Lucy?" The blonde hums, switching tracks to bring up her list again.

"Do you have any more suggestions for medicine or psychology? And anything on glass shaping?" Wendy had asked her just yesterday for something harder in the psychology field and when Natsu had learned about glass blowing he'd been especially curious.

Mr. Crux nods. "Of course, right this way." As she follows him up a set of stairs to the second floor she marvels the fact she's also been discovering so much more about the school library. No matter what she asks for, Mr. Crux always seems to find it or have it stock even if it's an odd book about juggling and breathing fire. And hadn't _that one _been an odd request.

_It's been over two months since I met them. _When they come to the medicinal section, the thought hits Lucy hard enough that she almost stumbles. She hadn't realized it, between classes, studying, having fun with them and spending time with Levy her schedule's been packed to the max. And still, she smiles. _Time flies when you're having fun. _

Granted it hadn't been all fun. It had taken over two weeks before Gajeel would show himself to her and another week after before he spoke to her. She had been stunned the first time she saw the steel gray scales covering the left side of his face mixed in with the multitude of piercings covering his upper body but it had meant shit when she learned his nickname for her.

After that, she hadn't even learned what these elements were Makarov had been talking about until she'd come over to find Gajeel eating a bucket of rusty nails and using his hands to form a metal bo staff for Wendy to start learning how to fight. That had been when the real fun began. Both teens became curious about what kinds of books she could get about how to use their element and as stubborn as she is, she had readily picked up on the challenge.

That had been three weeks ago. Since then she's fallen into a steady rhythm that seems to suit everyone. During the week she focuses on her classes, then when the day is done she goes to their house. While she's there she does homework, plays with Wendy, and enjoys time with Natsu as he and Gajeel work with their elements. When she leaves to go home she takes any books they're done with and just about every other day she's returning to the library to drop off and pick up more books. On Fridays she still hangs out with Levy, kicking ass in Ark or just enjoying her time with the bluenette. The weekends are a bit different. In the mornings she'll go over to their house and either stay there for the day or sometimes, if Wendy's not feeling too shy she'll take her to the other side of the canal for ice cream and to spend the day exploring. When Sunday comes around she stays at home, working on any left homework, doing chores, and getting ready for the upcoming week.

With the last of the books she was looking for in her hands, she and Mr. Crux return to the front desk so she can check out. Once it's all set and done, she packs them away, waves to the librarian and is on her way once more.

Humming to herself, she walks the half-hour to Makarov's house. When she's within sight of the house she spots a figure on the roof moving. Unconsciously her lips rise into a smile, thoughts of seeing Natsu and hearing what kind of trouble he's gotten into today coming to mind. She doesn't even make it to the gate before Wendy comes running out of the house, her hood haphazardly covering her face. Lucy giggles, listening to the girl trill in excitement.

"Hi, Wendy, how are you today?" The bluenette grins, the sun catching on the scale pattern beginning to take shape on her cheekbone.

"Hi, Lucy! Did you bring some new books?"

The blonde hums, tapping her chin in thought. "I don't know. I think my bag felt a little heavier after I left school but I can't say for sure." Slipping through the gate, she taps a pouting Wendy in the forehead and starts for the front door the teen left open. "Let's get inside and see. I've got some studying to do for finals."

Wendy chirps in excitement and Lucy follows the excited Chosen into the house, closing the door behind them. When she turns around she finds the living room in disarray. What usually is a small comfortable space filled with comfy cushions and colorful pictures has been rearranged. The chairs and couch are pushed back against the walls and the coffee table is sitting upside down on the couch. In the now open floor, a pile of metal items sits in front of a familiar raven-haired man.

Steel-gray scales and piercings alike glint in the light but aside from a grunt of acknowledgment Gajeel doesn't say anything to her. Instead, he stares at the pile of metal, his blood-red eyes growing angry. Finally, he huffs, changing his stance to set his head on one hand, respective elbow on his knee and glare at the pile.

"I don't get it, Gramps! What do you want me to do with this?"

A hum comes from the back of one chair and Lucy finds the old man sitting on the back of it, sipping a cup of tea as he watches his son. "That depends, what does the Dragon say?"

Gajeel throws his hands up, turning to glare at his father figure. "I told you already. The shit-head won't say anything to me! It's like trying to talk to Flame-Brain on a good day. It'd be easier to talk to a brick wall."

Hearing that, Lucy winces. She's heard much about the voice of the Dragons from all three and how important that voice is because it _is _the Dragon in them. She's heard how Wendy's Dragon comforts her, she's heard Natsu arguing with himself aloud though Makarov assures her he's talking to his Dragon but...Gajeel has been different. Even with all the time she's spent around him she's never seen in any overt fashion the relationship between him and his Dragon. Besides the odd grunt or a nod—nothing new for the ornery older man—there's no speech or visible gestures. Now hearing that the ancient creature has gone quiet, it's a bit worrying.

"Hey, Luce." Lucy yelps, drawing Gajeel and Makarov's attention as she turns to find a familiar salmon-haired teen standing right behind her. She scowls, setting her hands on her hips.

"Natsu! What have I told you about scaring me?" His onyx eyes go soft, blowing wide in a puppy pout that's been proven effective time and time again to melt her heart and she sighs. "You really are no fair sometimes." With that, she goes into her bag and pulls out a couple of books she'd gotten for him. "Here, smelting and glass blowing like you asked." As she hands them to him she arches an eyebrow in a silent question.

Tilting his head slightly in the direction of the kitchen and back of the house in answer, he takes the books from her with a grin. "Thanks, Lucy." He runs off toward the back of the house.

Shaking her head in amusement Lucy turns back to find Gajeel sitting in his original position only this time his eyes are closed and he's measuring his breathing while Makarov is walking over to her and Wendy. He grins. "Afternoon, Lucy. Since the living room is a bit occupied," The snort from a grumpy Chosen goes ignored. "I thought we could go on the back deck this afternoon."

"Sure." She nods, following him through the living room, into the kitchen, and out the back door. The back deck and yard aren't much to look at. It's a small yard, half lined with brick and mortar due to the boys' destructive nature and the other half has a patch of grass with a small tree that Wendy likes to curl up under to read some days. On the days when Lucy gets her work done early and the boys have run off into the neighborhood to cause trouble, she'll take a book and join the young girl. Today, though, they move off to the left of the deck where a table made of detailed metalwork sits along with four chairs. Makarov had explained to her that Gajeel and Natsu had made the table after Natsu gained some control of his element fire as a Christmas gift for him.

After she settles into a chair she pulls out Wendy's books, setting the stack of them in front of the girl before handing Gajeel's metalwork and welding books to Mavarov and pulling out her school work. There isn't much work to do but with it being the end of the year she has to study for her finals. They settle into silence as she works through her first three classes but as she's changing out History for Astrology she feels eyes on her and looks up to find Wendy looking at her.

She arches an eyebrow, setting her pencil on a paper to keep it from blowing away. "What's the matter, Wendy?"

Wendy looks down at her book in a sudden display of shyness, her cheeks turning red in embarrassment. Then the girl takes a breath, raising her head to look Lucy in the eye. "You're graduating soon right?"

The blonde nods, unclear as to where this is going. "Yeah, in three weeks actually. Finals are next week, we get our scores, gowns, and practice walking the stage the week after that, and the third week we graduate. Why do you ask?"

Wendy looks at Makarov and when the old man nods, she looks back down at her book. "I-I was wonderingifwecouldgo." She spits out the last bit of her statement in such a rush that Lucy blinks, unsure of what she had said. Lucy blinks again, the words beginning to make sense then she squeals, reaching around to hug the adorable younger teen.

"Absolutely you can come!" Something occurs to her and she pulls back, looking up at the roof where she knows Natsu is sitting on watch. "Natsu! What about you and Gajeel?"

Not two seconds later, Natsu is jumping off the roof to land on the deck on the other side of the table. Grinning sheepishly, he rubs the back of his head. "We were actually hoping to go as well. Metalhead might not act it but he likes ya as much as we do. We'd be willing to hide our faces if it means we get to see something so special to ya."

Coming from them it really means a lot to the blonde. She knows that if it were anyone else they wouldn't even bother bringing it up, let alone thinking about it, but the fact they're willing to risk being found out just to see her receive her diploma is incredible. So happy, she gets up and tackles the pinkette in a hug. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!"

He hugs her back just as fiercely and when he lets go she turns to Makarov, her grin never fading. "What about you, Gramps? Are you coming to?"

Makarov hums, stroking his mustache before he grins, looking up at her. "My dear, I wouldn't miss it for the world."

_**XxX**_

_Come on, come on. _Homeroom, the first class of the day. Lucy's watching the clock like a madwoman, twiddling her thumbs in worry. Everyone's still filing into the room slowly but steadily and it's driving her _insane. _It's Wednesday, a week and two days until graduation and they receive their scores from Finals today. Normally Lucy wouldn't be worried about Finals but this is her Senior Year, add to that she hasn't exactly been the most observant teen in class since she came across the Chosen and their caretaker and she's a tad bit worried.

Because it's the Senior Class, Lucy knows that once they get their scores, they'll get their grades for the year and be told if they'll walk the stage or have to repeat the year. _Please, please, please don't let it be the latter. _Finally, the bell rings signaling the start of the school day and she feels her posture relax just the slightest.

Their teacher, Mr. Sequen rises from his chair and grabbing his cane, picks up the pile of papers laying on his desk. Then he looks up at his students and frowns. "I must say, for a bunch of teens who supposedly studied so hard, your final scores were lacking." Whispers of shock and despair start rising from the class. His frown changes into a smile and he chuckles, walking up to the first row of desks to hand out the scores. "I jest, I jest young ones. From what I've seen every one of you has done well. Even the higher-ups were impressed with the scores Magnolia High's Senior Class presented for Finals."

As the papers are passed around groans start to arise when they realize what he'd said. Several protests come from some of the others as well as a few retorts for the not so funny joke but the old teacher takes it well, simply laughing once he returns to his seat.

When Lucy gets her paper she grins, all A's staring back at her along with a 3.9 GPA. On a separate piece of paper stapled to her grades, she finds the room assignment to get set up for Graduation.

Mr. Sequen taps his cane against his desk to gain their attention. When he has it he arches an eyebrow. "I know you've got your assignments for Graduation so why are you all still sitting here. They're only gonna be open from today until Friday so if you wanna get your stuff I suggest you go now."

Just like that, the room is emptying, the hallways echoing with whoops and hollers from the Senior Class. Grabbing her bag, Lucy is right on their heels. She has somewhere else she needs to be and waiting in line to get her grad kit is not gonna happen. Grinning from ear to ear she races to the stairs, pulling a move that Natsu would be proud of, she hops onto the railing and is soon passing up her entire class down the stairs. It doesn't escape her notice the looks of shock she receives but at this moment she doesn't care. Her Dragon is more important.

Stumbling just the slightest at the bottom of the stairs, she's racing down the hall with adrenaline in her ears. She slides to a stop in front of the room on her assignment and steps in. It only takes fifteen minutes to get through everything she needs but for her, it's much too slow. By now she could already be halfway there and it's bothering her, she's getting frustrated until they say she can go. Then she's rushing past the line out into the hall about to run for the door when someone grabs her arm.

The sudden pressure sends her feet sliding out from under her. It's only the grip on her arm that keeps her from hitting the floor face first. She scowls, "Hey, who do you thin—Loke?!" She wants to bite his head off for grabbing her but a wave of much deeper anger boiling up takes her by surprise and she shuts her mouth to keep from saying something she probably shouldn't. Instead, she takes a deep breath, glaring at the hand on her arm. "What do you want, Loke?"

The jock arches an eyebrow, pushing those ridiculous shades up his nose. "Mreow. Hello to you too princess. I just wanted to ask if you wanted to go out with me to celebrate tonight."

Her chocolate brown eyes harden to mahogany and she turns the glare from his arm to his face. The blonde rips her arm from his grasp, getting the urge to lift her lips in a snarl like Natsu and Gajeel would. "Like Hell, I would go out with the likes of you. Get it through your thick head I am _never _going out with you." With that, she walks away, her chin up, shoulders straight, and the furious presence of someone who shouldn't be messed with.

As she reaches the door she misses the anger flashing across his eyes, the tenseness of his shoulders, and a forming plan that would change their world forever.

_**XxX**_

Her mood effectively ruined by the egotistical jerk known as the Captain of the Football team her walk to Makarov's house is spent broiling over ways to get back at him for what he's done to her Dragon and his siblings...at least until she's tackled by a small blue blur and is knocked out of her thoughts to realize she'd already made it to Makarov's house.

She looks down at the younger teen, grinning as she hugs her back. "Hey, Wendy. Where are the others? I got great news."

The bluenette pulls away, looking at Lucy with wide eyes. "Did you—? It is?" She's so excited she can't get the words out and Lucy giggles, placing one finger over her mouth.

"It's a secret. Get your brothers and I'll tell everyone together." Wendy nods, turning away to let out one of the loudest trills Lucy's ever heard the girl make then she turns back, grabbing on the blonde's hand to pull her into the living room.

"Natsu and Gajeel will be here in a couple of minutes. Ooh, I can't wait to find out!"

Lucy finds it amusing the little bluenette is as excited about her graduation as she is but then...she remembers Wendy will never get to have that experience. She'll never get the chance to walk across the stage to accept her diploma or even attend a normal school simply because of who she is—because of the fabulous gift that makes the teen so special in the first place.

No more than a minute later as Wendy had said, they hear two thumps on the roof of the house. As if on cue, Makarov comes out of his room, scowling at the roof. "I thought I told those two brats not to use _our _roof for roof hopping." He growls, a very human sound compared to his children. "If they bust another hole in it, they're repairing it."

"Aye, we know Gramps!" Makarov yelps, spinning around to find Natsu standing in the kitchen, Gajeel still swinging through the removed ceiling plate that separates their room—the attic—from the kitchen.

He scowls harder, crossing his arms over his chest. "Natsu! You're gonna give me a heart attack with your entrances. Now, what's with the sudden return? Lucy doesn't get here for several more hours and you're never here before lunch."

A giggle catches their attention and Lucy watches in amusement as all three turn to her and Wendy. She waves a hand, biting back a giggle of favor of grinning at them. "Hi!"

Makarov arches an eyebrow. "Child, I thought you were supposed to be in school. Cutting school this early in the day is bad even for someone with your grades."

Lucy can't help it, she giggles, reaching into her bag for her scores. She pulls them out, holding them out to him only for Wendy to snatch them with inhuman speed. Her eyes dart across the sheet with the same practice used in her medical books before she squeals, jumping at Lucy for another hug. Amused by the display, Makarov nods at the sheet and Gajeel snatches it from his sister's hand before she can wrinkle it in her excitement. He glances at it then hands it to Makarov, allowing the old man to finally look at the sheet.

Natsu leans over his shoulder, taking the time to absorb what it says before he whistles, grinning at the blonde. "Hot damn Luce, All A's?"

Wendy's calmed down enough to finally let her breathe, and Lucy nods, grinning at the salmon-haired teen. "Yeah, passed with flying colors. I even got all the graduation stuff done." She reaches into her bag, pulling out four tickets. "Tickets for you guys to come to my graduation next week."

Makarov takes them, smiling proudly at her. "Congratulations, Lucy. I'm proud of you. Able to keep such high scores even when you're running around with these brats. I have a feeling you'll do great things." He pauses, looking at his children with bare love in his eyes. "All _four _of you will do great things. Remember that no matter what the world sees you as, as long as you have family, hope, and love in your hearts you can do _anything _you desire."

_**XxX**_

"Gramps!" Makarov sighs, straightening his tie in the mirror. He loves his children but _damn_ if they can't bug him. So…

"What Brat?!" He bellows back just as loud as his son.

"I can't find my shoes!" Natsu whines, appearing in the door and Makarov runs a hand down his face. Glancing back in the mirror to ensure everything's set he nods and turns back to his son.

"Did you look under the couch?" Natsu plays with his hair, a sure sign of embarrassment and Makarov groans, glancing at the clock. There's still a couple of hours until Lucy's graduation but with how his brats are, he has a feeling it'll take that long to get everyone ready. "Have Wendy help you look. Her nose is just as good as yours, she should be able to help you find them."

Natsu grins, opening his mouth to agree when he freezes, anger crossing his expression. Unsure of what it could mean but very aware of several possibilities he chases after his brat into the living room just as there's a knock on the door. His youngest son goes to the bay window, peeking out of the curtain and snarls loudly enough to put him on edge. When Wendy comes out of her room behind the front door to see what's wrong Makarov waves her back into it.

She whimpers and Gajeel, standing at the door, pats her on the shoulder in reassurance before pulling the door open after the person at the door knocks a third time. Then _he _snarls, baring his teeth at the person on the other side of the door.

"_What the Hell do you want?"_

_**XxX**_

Lucy peeks through the curtain, her eyes on the lookout for four people in particular. When the scene from fifteen seconds ago hasn't changed she feels her heart plummet into her stomach. They're about to start...The orchestra is warming up, testing the first few notes of the song and yet the Dragons and their father still haven't arrived. To say she's worried is a guarantee, to say she's scared? Even more so. They had been adamant about coming when she saw them yesterday but could something have happened? Could Wendy have gotten scared and her brothers not wanted to go without her? Could one of the boys have gotten into actual trouble with the police and Makarov was currently trying to get them out?

When the music finally starts, her worries are still there, the Chosen still missing, and the line moving into position as they'd practiced. They go through the speeches, the praises of the Senior Class, presenting special awards then they begin to call out singular names. When they get to the H's her row stands up and she uses the chance to look around. Still no sign of them.

She goes through the motions of getting her degree and shaking Principal Doma's hand. She's too worried about the Dragons to particularly care what's going on around her. Still, Lucy follows through with the motions they've practiced for the last three days, returning to her seat as the rest of the Senior year is called. It's three hours of torture all in all and once it's done, their hats thrown into the air Lucy rushes through the crowd convalescing on the now graduate class for the nearest doors outside and her car. Stripping off her robe, she chucks it in the back and hops in, leaving the convention center with only the Dragons in her mind.

In a little under forty-five minutes, she's driving over the canal and a couple of minutes later she's turning down seventh street. What she sees scares her. There's a police car parked out front Makarov's house, the house itself covered in yellow caution tape. Her heart in her throat, she parks, gets out and walks up to a cop still standing outside the house.

He sees her coming and walks up to her, his expression stern. "I'm sorry, Miss, but this is a crime scene, you can't go any further."

Lucy swallows, her eyes burning. "C-Can you tell me what happened? Please?"

The cop shakes his head, "Afraid I can't."

She nods. "I see, thank you." With that, she turns back to her car. Sliding in, she turns the key and decides to go home. _Hopefully, I can find something on the internet. _With that shred of hope in her heart, she makes her way back to her apartment. Parking in her usual spot she walks up the two flights of stairs, unlocks her door, walks in...and gets tackled.

Let it be noted that a fourteen-year-old Dragon is already very strong. That and an unbraced Lucy equals groaning blonde pinned under a whining Dragon.

Shaking off the impact Lucy lifts her head, frowning in confusion before her expression brightens and she lurches forward, wrapping Wendy in a hug. "Wendy! Thank the Gods you're okay." She pulls away, taking in the Dragon's red puffy eyes. Almost immediately her joy melts away. "Wendy? You _are _okay, right? What happened?"

The young teen is dressed in a blue and white dress, much more fit for a formal event rather than going out and playing. Though from what Lucy can see it's torn and dirty as if she'd had a time running around in it. Knowing that Wendy usually isn't one for tearing her clothes up by playing only makes it worse. She sniffles, wiping her nose on Lucy's shirt like a little kid before murmuring brokenly, "Gramps was hurt...scared...ran for you."

And Lucy hugs her again, comforting the younger teen the only way she knows how. To know that Wendy's first idea was to find her and being unable to because she was at graduation… it hurts to think there could've been something she could do. Something occurs to her and she pulls away once more, looking Wendy in the eye. "Wendy, how did you find my apartment by yourself? I've only brought you here once before."

It started raining one day when the blonde brought Wendy to this side of the canal for some exploring and she decided to wait out the storm in her apartment instead of walking back in the rain but… that had only been once nearly two months ago. It couldn't be possible for the fourteen-year-old to find her place by herself.

"She wasn't by herself." The gruff reply has Lucy looking up to see Natsu sitting on her bed looking mentally and emotionally drained. Seeing her confusion he huffs, scratching at the scales on his cheek. "The times you went home after dark I followed you back to make sure no one hurt you. That's how I knew which apartment it was even though she was the one that pulled me this way."

Lucy urges Wendy to the side and after she gets up, Wendy once more latches onto her side. The blonde sighs, looking back at him. "Have you two eaten?" He shakes his head and she nods, making for the curtain that marks the divide between the bedroom and the kitchen. Though she only gets a few steps before she looks down at the fourteen-year-old. "Hey, Wendy, why don't you go hug Natsu and I'll make you a cup of hot chocolate?" The idea of chocolate doesn't cheer her up as much as it normally would but it works long enough for Lucy to be able to move freely.

Just as she offered, the first thing she makes is a cup of hot chocolate for the youngest Chosen which she takes out to the girl before going back and making sandwiches for all three of them. She sets the tray of sandwiches on the table in front of her bed, handing one to both Chosen before taking one for herself. By the time Wendy's finished her hot cocoa and the sandwich, she's beginning to doze so with Natsu's help they maneuver her to lay more comfortably on the bed.

When they're sure she's asleep, Lucy gestures to the kitchen, Natsu following her in. She leans against a counter, turning to face him, "What happened?"

_**XxX**_

April 20, 2013

_Yesterday I learned something that shook my world. Yesterday, Makarov, the kind old man who took in Gajeel, Natsu, and Wendy was killed because of jealousy. I had no idea that something as small and petty as me spending time with someone else would result in such a kind and caring man being killed. Things aren't looking good for the Dragons either. Gajeel's disappeared, I hope he's not doing something to hurt himself or someone else. Wendy's reverting back to the shy girl I had first met and Natsu...Natsu's having a very hard time controlling his temper, let alone his fire. I can only be grateful he seems to subconsciously know when I am near to not hurt me._

_It hurts. Makarov was almost like a father to me when I've had none for so long and now that he's gone I don't know what to do. I guess for the moment I'll just have to do what I've been doing these past few months. I'll help Wendy and Natsu, keep them out of trouble and hopefully, Gajeel will come home. In the meantime, I have to_—

_Sorry, I got distracted. Natsu tried to make waffles and accidentally burned them. I saw a ghost of a smile so I guess he's still in there somewhere. I just need to find him._

April 23, 2013

_The police showed up at my door today. They were looking for Natsu and Wendy. They wanted to get their statements about that day. I had nothing to give since I wasn't there but when Natsu was hesitant to go with them I offered to tag along. I was afraid of his temper cutting loose like it has been these past few days but I guess he just didn't have it in him to snap today. He just...He looked tired. I don't blame him honestly._

_Gajeel's still MIA. I'm worried over what he's doing but he is an adult. I know he can take care of himself. It still hurts, hearing what happened to the Dragons and their father. Even knowing who did it, I had never thought he could be cruel enough to do it. Though I guess I should've known otherwise with how he's treated Natsu in the past. _

_When we left the police station I actually had to stop Natsu from storming off to find the asshole and beating his ass. Trust me, I wanted him to do it but I also knew Wendy wouldn't be able to survive without her big brother. And I don't want to lose my Dragon. I had no idea when I first met Makarov that in just a total of four months I would come to see him as a father figure as well._

_Wendy...she's not the same shy girl I had first met like I feared but she's still quieter than her normal self. I can only hope time helps to repair the wounds that asshole left._

April 25, 2013

_Today has been something of a better day. Gajeel returned. I woke up and found him sitting on the fire escape with more wounds then a person should have but he was calm. To be frank he looked as tired as Natsu after the visit to the police station. It gave Wendy something to do by putting her medical knowledge to the test in healing her older brother but it appears to have had an upside. She's a bit chirpier today, smiling some and less prone to sudden bouts of silence. For now, though, all three Dragons are fighting over my bed. *snort* It's my bed and yet all three have already started a new fight for the comfiest spot. Thankfully, though, Natsu saves me just enough space at the head of the bed. _

_Did I mention I woke up in his arms this morning? Yeah, that was a new one. I'm so used to sleeping alone that having someone else with me almost scared me out of my skin. Thankfully I didn't try to kick or I might've kicked Wendy!_

_Oh! We found out they arrested Loke. They're having all three Dragons come in to pick him out of a line-up to seal the deal but so far things are going in our favor...Hopefully, they keep going that way._

April 30, 2013

_OOH! I COULD JUST HIT SOMEONE! Today was Makarov's funeral and when we come back what do I find on my door? HATE MAIL! Calling the Dragons freaks of nature, saying they shouldn't be alive. Why I oughta *SCREAM* *sigh* But me being mad won't help anyone. To be honest I'm surprised they took it so well. Gajeel simply tore it all down, crumpled it into a ball and threw it to Natsu. I think it made him very happy to be able to use his element for the first time in a week. _

_On the flip side, we as a group have decided we're going to move. Not only is my bed not big enough to fit all four of us_—_Waking up with Gajeel's foot in my back was not fun_—_but I need to get them out of here before the landlady evicts us. Thankfully my inheritance will cover us moving. All that's left is deciding _where _we'll move. The Dragons want to stay in Magnolia but after the trial, everyone's gonna know them and then they'll never get any peace._

May 8, 2013

_Have I mentioned that Dragon tempers are EXTREMELY scary? I haven't? Well, they are. Loke's trial was today. They're charging him with First Degree Murder. *snort* Serves him right. *sigh* But that doesn't help the Dragons that much. The reason I brought up the temper problem is...Weeeeellll...Loke's attorney is a piece of shit and after the trial was over I had to take all _three _Dragons into the forest to blow off some steam. _

_I'm just thankful they remembered my car is the only way in and out of those woods or else I have a feeling it woulda went kablooey. Or maybe been eaten? I don't know. Gajeel was awfully hungry when we got home. Quite a few of the naysayers in my building will find themselves missing their license plates tomorrow. Hell, I'm surprised he didn't outright take a bite out of the cars. _

_So I just asked and he laughed saying that it definitely would've pointed to him since, ya know, he's the only one that can actually _TAKE A BITE OUT OF A CAR.

May 10, 2013

_So um...We got a call from the prosecutor today. The jury came back. Loke's getting life without parole. I honestly didn't think it would've been that bad but I have no regrets. He killed Gramps, someone that was a father figure to not just the Dragons but myself as well in the few short months I knew him…_

_Bunnygirl doesn't know I'm doing this. Hell, I don't think she even knows we know where she hides her journal or diary or whatever this shit is but I just gotta say, it don't matter how long you know someone, what matters_—

_Stupid Metalhead, I wanted to write this. When I'm done he_—

_My brothers act like idiots sometimes, I will say that but what they were trying to say is that time doesn't matter when it comes to the impact a person left on your heart. My Dragon says that no matter what happens Makarov will always be looking over us, no matter what we do._

May 15, 2013

_It's MOVING DAY! After the whole fiasco of trying to decide where we're gonna live I got in touch with Miss Grammi, come to find out she was a friend of my Mama's and she told us about an old house about fifteen miles back in the woods outside of Magnolia that belonged to one of _her _friends. It's a bit far but considering the Dragons will have all the room they need to be themselves, I'm willing to take the half-hour drive into and out of town. Especially when I saw how excited they were about the house. It's wired but it doesn't have electric, not yet at least. I've got guys coming on Monday to install solar panels._

_The truck's coming in an hour and I've already assigned Natsu and Gajeel to furniture moving duty. Considering they can lift _cars _with one hand each. Which, by the way, the neighbors _still _don't know what happened to their license plates. And never will they. 'Sides I have a feeling if they asked Gajeel would give them back in the form of a loud stinks-like-shit belch. Oh, and a note to future me. Don't step in the crossfire of a belching competition. They all seriously thought I'd died when I passed out. Though I do think I remember a field of gold, but, *shrugs* they're all silly Dragons in their own way. _

May 24, 2013

_*groan* Moving is a pain in the ass. I'm sore all over, I'm tired, and I've got three Dragons that are absolutely in love and doing their damnedest to explore the whole place in one night. I can't complain. Not when Natsu's able to play with fire, _literally_, in the fire pit all night. There's a junkyard about a mile up the road so Gajeel's happy and Wendy...The more space she has the more hyper she gets. I swear upon my bones! Some days I can't keep her in place long enough to even eat. It's such a big difference from the person she was when I first met her._

_Oh! We discovered an awesome little place right above the water the other day. It has the best view of the sunset and the wind in your ears almost feels like a heartbeat, as if_—_anyway, the Dragons love it. They try to get me to take them every day but there _are _some days where I want to stay home and work on my writing. I haven't decided if I'm gonna do college yet though. I can't leave those three alone for long and Wendy still has days where she's very clingy. To the point where we just curl up on the couch together and watch movies all day._

_But I love my Dragons so I'll happily curl up with her. And don't think I haven't noticed how jealous Natsu gets when I do. I might bring it up to him one day but for now...For now, I'll simply be who they need me to be, and in return I allow them to be who they're meant to be._

June 6, 2013

_It's been nearly two months since Makarov's death. Natsu and Wendy seem to be having one of their better days, their Dragons' emotions not weighing on them so heavily but I know better than to expect that to last. It feels like the Dragons are on a pendulum, their emotions swaying back and forth with just the slightest of pushes. I just hope that pendulum doesn't send them into a rage, I only just replaced the dining table from Natsu's last episode._

_I am somewhat concerned about Gajeel. He's been oddly skittish and agitated this past week, something extremely unusual for him and his Dragon alike. Typically it takes Natsu an hour to get him into a spar but lately, it feels as if the smallest slight sets the Metal Dragon in him off. Granted he's apologetic afterward but to me, that's also highly unusual. I just hope today will cheer him up._

_That's right. I forgot to mention today is Gajeel's birthday. I managed to get Wendy to tell me after I gave her some of her favorite chocolates...A sugar hyped Sky Dragon is something I'm only willing to put up with to get answers the other two won't tell me. __**That **__experience taught me to only let her have it when we're not in the apartment. At least I won't have to dust for a month...or three...Anyway, today is Gajeel's birthday and with Natsu and Wendy's help I've been able to come up with a surprise I think he might like—_

"Hey Luce, we gonna go or what?"

Lucy hums, looking up from her letter to find Natsu standing in the doorway with Wendy being held under one arm like a sack of rocks. At the sight of Wendy scowling the blonde rolls her eyes and sets her pen down. "Yeah, we can go. Can I ask where you got the extra package from?"

He hums, grinning down at his sister and shifts making her squeak. "Found this in the pantry trying to sniff out the chocolate. Thought you might want it."

"Sure," Lucy giggles, getting up from her seat and walking over to the two Chosen. "we have to go anyway if we're gonna get there before sunset."

Both Dragons groan, Wendy looking up from where she still sits under Natsu's arm. In the light of the sun seeping through Lucy's curtains, it appears as if her white scales glow. "Do we _have _to take the car? Why can't we walk?"

"Because it's too far to walk if we wanna make it in time." The blonde throws over her shoulder, walking past them into the hall. Spotting something on the ground she picks it up as she walks past and chucks it at Natsu, stepping into the living room. "Stop leaving your scale polish on the floor, Natsu. Do it again and I'll—what _are _you doing?"

All three stop midstep, brows comically rising in sync at the sight of Gajeel scratching his back against the corner of the entertainment center. Gajeel, however just growls, reaching back to try and continue scratching.

"I don't fucking know." He huffs, groaning in annoyance. "My back itches like hell and all He's saying is to scratch it. He refuses to even tell why. Says it's a surprise." More than used to the way they talk about their Dragons, Lucy just nods, preferring to ignore the fact that even Gajeel's Dragon won't give him a straight answer. How should she, a normal human, know the secrets of the bond between a Chosen and their Dragon?

_Granted, _she muses walking into the kitchen to grab the last bag of supplies sitting on the counter. _It would probably help explain why Natsu likes burning his food to ash or why Wendy growls to herself at night. _

Walking back into the living room, she hands the bag to Natsu. "Well, there's a seatbelt buckle you can scratch your back on on the way to where we're going. Wendy, why don't you help get him in the car?"

All three groan at the mention of their most hated foe but reluctantly do as she asks, Natsu following her out the front door while Wendy goes over to pull Gajeel away from the entertainment center. It doesn't escape her notice the amount of chipped and damaged wood splintering from the abused corner.

Unlike normal, it takes them less than fifteen minutes for everyone to pile into the car. Lucy gratefully chalks that up to their excitement about the surprise even if Gajeel doesn't know what's happening. Once everything is sorted they pull off, Lucy being careful to avoid potholes and going just the slightest over the speed limit to ease the groaning trio's discomfort.

As such it only takes fifteen minutes compared to the half-hour drive it would normally take to reach their destination. All three perk up when Lucy finally parks and in the next few seconds the car is empty of all passengers. The blonde just shakes her head in amusement, unbuckling her seatbelt and getting out to find Natsu and Wendy using their enhanced sense of smell to sate their curiosity about lingering scents. Smiling, she opens the hatchback and pulls out the picnic basket and blanket.

It's while she's walking to one of the picnic tables laying around the area that she finds out where Gajeel went off to. The eldest of the three Chosen stands on the edge of the cliff. So close does he stand that his toes hang off, though Lucy gets the feeling he doesn't even notice this detail. Frowning in worry and curiosity she sets the picnic items on the table and approaches him.

"Gajeel, are you okay?"

Calmly, the calmest she's seen him in the past week, he turns to her. His eyes, to her surprise, glow nearly amethyst in the light of the setting sun. Gone are the blood-red irises that are the human's, instead replaced with the reflective, all-knowing look of the Dragon that shares the man's soul. He grins, his already sharp incisors noticeably longer. "Thank you," He rumbles in a baritone bass. "Thank you for helping my human, for getting him to this point. Without you and the elder he never would've made it."

Grass crunches under light footsteps and without looking Lucy knows Natsu and Wendy stand behind her. Though it surprises her when Wendy is the one to speak.

"What is your name?"

Gajeel's Dragon turns, amethyst eyes raking over the youngest Chosen before rumbling a quiet sound in his chest. "To our kind, I am known as He-Of-The-Black-Steel." The way he says it, Lucy could almost compare to coughing up gravel. How she of all people can understand it she doesn't know. "But you humans may call me Metalicana."

"Why appear now?"

Even as Natsu asks that Lucy remembers the book she read what seems a lifetime ago now. And she turns, looking Natsu in the eye. "Because the final growth spurt Chosen receive comes after their twenty-first birthday but—"

She's cut off, Gajeel's Dragon rumbling his agreement. "Most humans don't live long enough." His expression dipping almost toward grief. "We can only do so much from within and until our humans reach their twenty-first year we are unable to protect them otherwise. We cannot use our magic or our full power when our humans are young or else it would tear them apart. The humans we choose are so connected to our own soul that it hurts us if they are hurt."

He falls quiet afterward, turning back to face the dying sun and Lucy finds she has a question that she hopes to cheer up the age-old being. So she quietly moves forward a step, watching his posture with the same experience she uses to judge the boys when they're in the middle of a spat. Once she's positive she murmurs her question, it only reaching the ears of the Dragons around her.

"What happens now?"

And Metalicana grins, that Gajeel grin that means he's about to get into trouble and doesn't give a shit for the consequences. The familiar action reassures her that whatever happens, it is still Gajeel in the flesh, that his Dragon only wants what is best for him. "Now," He murmurs, a mixture of Dragon rumble and Human cockiness. "we fly."

With the next howl of the wind, he's gone over the edge.

_**Present Day…**_

The wind grabs at her clothing, attempting to tear it from the force at which she falls. When a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist, halting her pace as the oh so familiar sound of flapping reaches her ears she smiles. _I've never put a thought toward what freedom actually meant. _She ponders when a flash of white enters her peripheral. _Not until I met the Chosen._

Turning her head she finds Wendy, white wings nearly twelve feet from wing tip to wing tip unsteadily gliding beside them. _Now though it seems like they're teaching me something new about it every day. _Wendy trills in excitement, folding her right wing to roll over and Natsu follows suit bringing Lucy along with him. _What it means to smile for the hell of it, to laugh and cry with abandonment and not care what others think._

Thinking back on watching Wendy discover her element, discover who she really is, helping Natsu to control his fiery temper and Gajeel to find his soft side, it truly has been a roller coaster ride. And though that roller coaster started with the loss of their father she finds she doesn't have a tear for it. What she does have is such gratitude she's unsure if she could ever find the words to express it.

Wendy sets the speed for their flight but Lucy doesn't mind. Not when she hears the girl trill in excitement. They dive, so close to the water Lucy reaches out a hand to the wave cap, before climbing back into the air. Back among the clouds, a sharp clash similar to knives rubbing against each other reaches her ear and Lucy looks around until she spots the sun reflecting off a flash of silver.

In his arms? A certain blue-haired friend of hers, giggling at his grumbles.

Still, the soft look on his face doesn't escape her notice. Lucy giggles herself, leaning her head back to look at Natsu's face. He glances down, jade eyes shining in the sunlight and he arches an eyebrow.

Her smile softens. "I love you." He purrs, a wing dipping to match Wendy's flight pattern. When the youngest dips into a dive he keeps going, rolling into a barrel roll that has Lucy squealing.

Coming out of the maneuver he dips his head down, pressing a light kiss to her jaw before rumbling, "I love you too."

_**The End.**_

* * *

**Hope y'all enjoyed and remember to thank Grossulart for the awesome Cover pic! **

**Grizzly out for the night!**

**P.S.**

**In case y'all were curious, below are the peoples ages.**

Pre Time skip age:

Lucy - 17

Natsu - 18

Gajeel - 20

Wendy - 14

Levy - 17

Post time skip:

Wendy - 21

Lucy - 24

Natsu - 25

Gajeel - 27

Levy - 24


End file.
